She Stole My Heart
by Jaime L. Hatheway
Summary: Daichi, Daisuke's son takes up the Dark legacy, after a series of unexplainable events injure the Black Wings, causing Dark and Krad to be born again. And a female's touch melts the Phantom Thief's heart, but is it all too good to be true?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Fatal First Encounters**

Daichi ruffled his short red hair, and lifted his still sleepy body out from under the covers, the white fuzzy animal, known as With, slumped across his stomach. It was the day of the Niwa's fourteenth birthday, and he had little idea of what things would happen to him this day. He leapt out of his bed, and scurried across the floor to his dresser. Daichi jumbled his clothes, accidentally tossing a pair of pants on the unsuspecting With that sat at the young boy's ankles. The creature let out a familiar "Kyu", as he desperately tried to shake the fabric off his face. The boy looked down with a smile, and removed the trousers from his companions face, "Sorry, With," he said with wide auburn eyes, and a large smile. The bunny-like animal smiled in return, and leapt up onto Daichi's shoulder.

"Dai!" two female voices called up the stairs. Daichi rushed for the door and opened it.

Just as the boy reached the stairs, his father emerged from the bathroom. At the exact same time, Daichi and his father, Daisuke, let out, "Yes, Mom?" the two red-haired males turned to each other and smiled.

At the bottom of the stairs, the two matriarchs of the family stood, Emiko and Riku Niwa. Daichi and Daisuke, with With in close pursuit, trudged down the stairs and into the kitchen, "Good morning, Mom," the two boys said in unison. The females giggled to each other, and Riku walked up to Daisuke, planting a small kiss on his cheek to help wake her husband up. Daisuke smiled, and kissed his wife on the lips.

The young boy turned away and stuck out his tongue in disgust, "Ew! Mom! Dad! You know I hate it when you do that!" he said with a shudder.

Emiko turned to her son, "Daisuke, we need to talk," she stated, motioning toward the kitchen. Riku handed her son a piece of toast, and ushered him into the living room. The young boy sat on the couch, and reached for the remote, dodging a blow dart that emerged from TV screen in the process. Daichi sighed deeply, almost getting tired of the traps that were set up all around his house. He flicked on some cartoons to watch before he had to leave for school.

Emiko turned to her son, "You know what could happen to him today, Daisuke," she said deeply.

The previous Phantom Thief nodded, "Yes. He is the next in line," Daisuke said, taking a seat at the table and folding his hands over his red hair, "I just hope he's ready," he said turning his face toward his son who sat fixed to the TV. Daisuke turned to his mother, "But will it really happen? Thirty-two years ago, Dark mended the Black Wings, so wouldn't he Krad have disappeared?" the red-haired man asked.

Emiko turned to the cupboard as she placed a cup on the top shelf, "I don't know, Dai. But I do know that one ancient artwork has just recently been found, The White Wind," she said, throwing a newspaper onto the kitchen table, and letting in slide into her son's view. Sure enough, printed in large black letters in the heading were: WHITE WIND FOUND. Daisuke lifted his face to meet his mother, "You remember that ring I gave Daichi when he was ten? The black one?" Emiko asked, turning away from his son, "It is known as the Black Stone. It has the power and ability to unleash a soul's other half," she said solemnly.

Daisuke gasped, "But, that means Dark _can_ come back! But, why would we need him again if the Black Wings was sealed up again?" he asked quickly.

The elder woman turned back to her son, "The Black Stone has the power to initiate the "Love DNA" in Daichi. But, the White Wind," she added quietly, "Holds the power to release Krad from his tamer," she concluded.

Daisuke looked down. Krad's DNA was locked in the Hikari genes, but Satoshi never had any children, to their knowledge, "But, Mom. Why is it so dangerous, if Satoshi never had any kids?" he asked, seeming more like his younger self, than his actual age.

Emiko sighed deeply, "If Krad wills it so much, he could possibly make anyone who comes to possess the _kaze shiori_ his tamer," she replied grimly.

Daisuke gasped, and turned to son, whom he wished never to have shared the same fate as himself.

Riku finished packing her son's lunch and placed it in his backpack, "Here, sweetie. Now, off to school," she said, as the boy got up from the couch.

Daichi opened the door, and grabbed his skateboard, "Bye," he said with a wave, as he slid down the street toward the train station. Riku turned to her husband, Daisuke as he poured himself for a cup of coffee.

"Do you think he's up to this?" she asked, with a touch of concern.

Daisuke sipped from the cup and let out a small sigh, "I sure hope so," he said, tilting his head toward the window as he caught a last glimpse of his son boarding over the hill.

Emiko placed her hands on her son's shoulders, "He is your son," she said sweetly, leaning down to kiss her boy on the cheek, "He'll been fine," was all she said.

Daichi slid into the station and hopped of his board, and waited for the train. Fortunately, the young Daiki hadn't inherited Daisuke's tardiness. He tapped his fingers on the board that sat between his hands. From out of nowhere, a dark figure whipped past him.

He caught only a glimpse of the individual as she dashed by, but he instantly recognized her. Suan Kotoboshi, a girl in his class. Her long black hair caught the sun, and it enhanced the natural blue highlights that lay hidden beneath. Her dark blue eyes flashed past, but he swore he caught a smile in them. The red and white uniform furled in the slight wind, and her steps were quick and true. She uttered a quick good morning, as she leapt onto the train. Daichi blinked to himself. He'd been in school with Miss Kotoboshi since he was young, but today was the first time he saw her in a new light. He cautiously stepped off the platform and onto the train. Daichi saw the face and the girl and decided to pursue her. He gently pushed through the crowds, until he was standing beside the young girl, "Um, hey Suan," he said quietly, running his fingers through his red hair.

The girl tossed her dark hair and turned her dark blue eyes to the young boy, "Hi," she said with a smile, "I didn't see you there, Daichi," Suan added, shifting her books so they sat more comfortably across her stomach.

Daichi laughed a little, "Yeah, well," he said, moving closer, "I kind of blend in with the crowd," he added with a little chuckle.

Suan smiled, and her eyes sparkled. Daichi was smitten, "Well, this is our stop, Daichi. Should we get off?" she asked leaning forward to look around for the nearest door.

"Sure," Daichi replied, motioning his hand outward, "Lady's first," he said regally with a tiny bow.

Suan giggled, "I'm far from ladylike," she said, and quickly dashed out of the car. Her blue-black hair flowed like a bolt of satin as her feet landed on the stone platform. Daichi was close behind, filled with joy, and honored by the girl's elegant presence. The two ran down the street and into the school, their books clenched tightly to their chests, "Hurry up, you snail. My grandmother could run faster than you!" Suan shouted, as she turned around and began running backwards.

Daichi's pace began to slow as his breaths got heavier, "Easy…for…you…to…say," he said, gasping between each word, "You're not carrying a ton of books on you back," he said with a deep breath.

Suan turned forward again, "That's because I finished my homework in class, instead of drawing mind puzzles and codes in my textbook," she replied, accelerating her speed.

"Hey!" Daichi cried out, "Wait for me!" he said, stumbling after her.

"I don't have all day, Niwa. I'll catch ya later," she added with a wave as she disappeared down the hall.

Daichi reached out his hand, "Okay," he uttered quietly, before collapsing on the ground.

When the young Niwa awoke, he was lying flat in a hospital bed, with a cool cloth over his brow. He moaned quietly, "How'd I get here?" he asked the air around him. Daichi turned his face to each side. He was alone, "Did I collapse in the hallway?" he questioned.

"You sure did," a familiar voice stated. Daichi jumped up with a gasp, and turned in the direction of the voice, "I guess that means you won't be trying out for the track team anytime soon, huh?" Suan added with a smile as she took a seat in the chair beside the bed.

"Suan, did you bring me here?" the boy asked, titling his head to one side.

The girl nodded with a straight face, "But there wasn't anyone here at the time, so I took the liberty of taking care of you," she stated, grinning widely.

Daichi smiled, then sat up abruptly, "But…Hey! What time is it?" he said, desperately looking around for some device to tell him the time. His eyes fell to the window and the warm rays that poured in from the heavens.

The girl exhaled, and got to her feet, heading toward the cupboard with the towels in it, "A little after noon," she said calmly.

"WHAT??!!" Daichi screamed, his face filled with horror, "You mean I missed all my morning classes!!" he added, frantically shaking his head back and forth. Nausea overcame him, and he fell back on his pillow with a quiet moan, "What a way to spend your fourteenth birthday," he uttered silently.

Suan returned with a fresh cloth, "Oh? It's your birthday? I didn't know. Happy Birthday, Niwa," she cheered with a reassuring smile as she placed the cloth on the young boy's forehead.

The young Niwa smiled a little, "Suan, how come you're so kind?" he asked calmly.

Suan turned to him with a smile, and she sat back in the chair. She chuckled a little to herself, and then turned to the door, where a number of familiar faces stood.

Emiko Niwa rushed to her grandson's side, "Oh, Dai!" she said, embracing him gently, "are you all right, dear?" she said, inspecting him.

Daichi moaned quietly, "Grandma, this really isn't necessary," he said, gently trying to push her off.

Riku walked over to her son, "What happened?" she asked, placing a hand on his red hair.

"Nothing Mom!" he interjected, "I'm fine," he added with a fake grin.

Daisuke strode to the bedside, a large grin on his face. He placed a hand on his wife's shoulder and whispered in her ear. The woman smiled, and then motioned to Emiko. The two ladies left the room, leaving Daichi, Suan, With (who was hiding in Daisuke's jacket), and Daisuke alone. The young man turned to the girl, "Thank you for taking care of my son," he said, his large eyes shining, "But I would like a moment with Daichi," Daisuke added nicely.

The girl bowed her head, "Not at all," she turned to Daichi, "You get some rest, okay?" she demanded. The boy nodded, and he turned to his father as Suan left the room. The two Niwas stared at each other. Daichi sat up quietly and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the now bright lights, "Is this how it felt for your first time?" Daichi asked firmly.

Daisuke was taken aback. Was his son referring to the inevitable first transformation of Dark? "What do you mean son?" he asked cautiously as he took a seat in the chair. It was at this time, that With popped out of Daisuke's pocket, and leapt onto the bed.

"When you met mom, was this how it felt?" he asked, referring to his affections for Miss Suan.

Daisuke breathed a silent sigh of relief, "Yes, Dai. It was….," he paused, choosing his words carefully, "A similar experience. You get some rest," he said, ruffling his son's hair before exiting the room. Then, he was alone, with nothing to entertain him but his own thoughts….about her.

Daichi's heart started to race as his mind filled with images of Suan, and his breaths became quick and shallow. His face became drenched in sweat as he fell from the bed and onto the cold linoleum floor. His short red hair lengthened and took a dark purple tinge, while his eyes narrowed to a more elliptical shape, darkening to a deep violet. His legs grew, and a coy grin curled around his lips.

Dark stood up, and turned to the bed, where the white creature sat patiently, "Hey, With. Long time no see," he said, scratching the bunny-like animal behind the ear.

Daichi's voice echoed in the back of Dark subconscious, "So…" he paused, "You must be Dark," he added with a coy laugh of his own.

The phantom thief smiled, "Aw," he said with a hint of disappointment, "It's no fun when they tell you beforehand," he said, striding over to a large mirror. He admired himself in the red and white school uniform, so much like his previous tamer, "Just like old times," he turned to the window, and leapt out of it, landing softly on the front lawn, and dashing out of sight.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

The Phantom Thief landed silently, rolling stealthily into the bushes that surrounded the infirmary windows, masking his escape. He popped his head out of the shrubs, cautiously glancing in all directions, in case there was a witness to be spotted. Dark sighed deeply as his inspection of the schoolyard left him with one conclusion; he'd seen more life in ghost town. The slight wind blew the school flag east; it gentle rustles were the only sounds that echoed into the young man's ears. He sighed again in dismay, "This is no challenge," he complained, sliding the sleeves of the school uniform past his elbows. Daichi was a little larger than his father, in fact, his uniform fit Dark snuggly, unlike the attire of the former tamer, Daisuke.

With sat on the windowsill, tilting his head to one side and letting out a familiar, "Kyu!" while wagging his long tail.

Dark glanced back up to the furry companion, "Well?" he questioned the creature as he crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his foot, "Are you coming or not?" he asked the fuzzy bunny.

Smiling joyfully, With nodded his head quickly and leapt off the ledge, gliding smoothly to his master's shoulder. Dark smiled once more and began walking in the direction of the Niwa residence. With hands above his head, the Phantom Thief called the beast to transform and within moments, he took flight on black-feathered wings.

Daichi sat in the back of Dark's subconscious, silently debating the occurrences of the prior events. His father had thoroughly explained the "Dark Legacy" numerous times, but at the end of the "history lesson", Daisuke firmly ended with the facts of the Black Wings being healed and its two halves inevitably disappearing. How could Dark have come back, and what's more, what of the White Wing?

"Hey!" the Thief hollered, "Stop thinking up there! You're giving me a headache!" he called to his new tamer as he flew higher and dove into an alleyway to avoid being seen. He didn't want his "adoring public" to know he was back…yet. With took his earthly form and jumped to the ground with a little plop, his long ears landing softly on the ground as he turned to Dark.

As the Phantom Thief drew nearer to the abode of his former tamer, questions similar to the young Niwa's popped into his conniving brain. How had he come back? According to all other events, he should never have been able to return. Daichi sighed in the back of Dark's mind. He scratched his neck and found a silver chain, with the black ring attached to it. Suddenly, a thought popped up in the tamer's head, "Say, Dark?" he asked the black angel.

Dark groaned to himself, "Now what do you want?" he asked with a coy grin as he leaned up against the brick wall of the alley.

Daichi growled at the Thief's insolence, "Are you wearing a ring around your neck?" the young boy asked.

The Phantom Thief sighed quietly, "I'm not really into jewelry," he replied "unless I'm stealing it, that is," he answered with a small chuckle.

"Well, shouldn't all the things I was wearing still be on you when we switch?" Daichi questioned.

Dark merely shrugged his shoulders, "I'd believe so," he replied, "what sparked your interest on the subject?" the young man asked his tamer as he began braiding a piece of his hair to entertain himself until the boy stopped asking questions and he could commence his journey.

"It's just…" Daichi began as he touched the black ring, "I'm still wearing the ring my father gave me this morning," he stated.

The Phantom Thief stopped fidgeting and his hair returned to its usual state, "A black ring?" he asked with great interest.

Daichi jumped at the sudden reply, "Yeah,' he answered.

Dark put his hand on his chin and began to think, "That could only mean one thing; they found the White Wind," the Thief added.

The young boy thought back to the conversation he'd had with his father, "That must've been why dad was so interested in that newspaper article," Daichi began, "It said something about the White Wind being found," he concluded.

Dark nodded in accordance to Daichi's observation, "That means that we've got to get possession of it before someone else does," he stated before continuing forward, "but let's not talk about that right now. I can't wait to see the look on Daisuke's face when I walk through the door. I wonder how nicely Miss Riku has aged?" he added with a smile.

Daichi was taken aback, "Are you talking about my mom!" he asked in disgust, "Dude! That is just wrong!" he added with a look of utter repulsion at the Thief.

Dark shook his head, "Don't get the wrong idea, Dai," he said, shaking his hands in the air, "If it wasn't for me, your dad would never have realized his true feelings. You should be grateful, because in an essence; I am your father," he mocked.

Daichi Niwa merely shook his head and sighed deeply. Dark laughed to himself and continued walking until he reached the front gate. With was bouncing obediently by his heels as he opened the door to the Niwa residence. The house was the same as he'd left it nearly two decades ago. Emiko was busy preparing dinner with Riku in the kitchen while Kosuke and Daisuke sat drinking coffee and reading the newspaper, "Riku, had me that ladle, dear," Emiko called from by the stove.

Riku opened a drawer a grabbed a medium-sized silver ladle, "Here you go," she said, handing it over to her mother-in-law just as Dark walked in the room. The young wife nearly dropped the object in surprise, "Dark!" she belted out.

All at once, the entire family's gazes fell on the Phantom Thief, "Hey," he said with a cool wave of his hand as he leaned casually against the doorframe,

From out of nowhere a young lady with silver hair appeared, dressed in a purple maid's uniform, "Master Dark!" she called, and flew at him, "Oh!" she sighed in delight as she hugged him tightly, "I thought I'd never see you again," Towa said as her cheeks grew red with glee.

Daichi quivered in the back of Dark's mind, "Why is Towa acting like this?" the young Niwa asked.

Dark laughed to himself, "That's just how Towa likes to say "hello" to me," he told his tamer inwardly, "Nice to see you again, Princess Towa," he said, lightly kissing her on the cheek. Daichi quivered again as he felt "his" lips touch Towa's skin.

Kosuke and his son stood suddenly and the two ladies stood agape, "Glad to see you made it here okay," Daisuke said with grin. Dark was a little taken back at the density of his former tamer's voice, but he adjusted quite quickly. Daisuke had also grown a considerable bit and now looked the young Phantom Thief directly in the eye, "Feels kind of weird being older than you," Daisuke added as he stepped closer,

Dark laughed slightly, "Believe me, Daisuke; the feeling's mutual," he added, patting his former tamer on the shoulder

Riku rushed to greet her "son", "Oh Dai, you look so…different," she said, grabbing a lock of purple hair.

"Ow! Riku that hurts!" Dark said, grabbing the piece from her hand.

"I'm not that different mom," Daichi whined, but alas she couldn't hear him.

"Don't take it personal; I'd say it's an improvement," Dark answered with a grin to his tamer, "Long time no see, eh?" he added with a small toothy smile.

"No kidding," Daisuke answered, placing an arm over the Thief's shoulders, "You showed up just in time too," he said, leading the young man to the kitchen table and sliding the newspaper over to Dark, "They found it," the elder Niwa stated.

Dark looked at the writing on the paper, "Yeah, Daichi already told me," he said as he scanned the article, "How'd you guys get a hold of the Black Stone?" he asked as he lifted his face from the paper.

Kosuke stepped closer, his aging body obviously taking its toll on his movements, "I found it while on my travels when Daisuke was young," he said, seating himself in the chair across from the Phantom Thief, "But back then, I had no idea what it was," he added.

Dark took a seat on the chair opposite Kosuke and leaned back, raising his hands above his head, "I'm hoping you know what it does now, right?" he asked slyly.

Riku stood beside Daisuke and grabbed him gently by the arm, "The black ring has the ability to give its wearer the power to continue your legacy," she stated sweetly.

Daisuke reached up and grabbed her hand warmly, "But only if they carry the genes of the Niwa Clan," he added politely.

Emiko turned to her children and husband, "But Satoshi Hikari doesn't have any descendants, so the White Wind shouldn't be able to summon the White Wing back," the elderly mother put in.

Dark straightened, "Yes, but I fear that once Krad realizes my return, he will find ways to make his face known," he added, glancing to each member of the family, "By the way, what is the name of Daichi's…" he began, but was cut off as his entire body started to glow. The Phantom Thief's purple locks lightened to Daichi's strawberry red, and his violet eyes took the crimson tinge of his tamer's.

"Suan," Daichi belted in, nearly unaware of the sudden transformation. The young boy looked around suddenly and grabbed at his gorgeous red hair, "I'm me again!" he shouted.

Riku giggled at her son and embraced him warmly, "You're back," she said with a grin.

Daisuke looked upon his son, "Amazing. He obviously has more control over him than I ever did," he said, rustling the young boy's red hair with his left hand.

The young son growled under his father's touch, "Dad!" he whined.

The Phantom Thief stirred in the back of the young boy's mind, "I was just getting used to being outside again," he complained, "way to ruin my party, Dai," he added with slight resentment toward his new tamer.

"Don't take it personal," he told his alter ego in mocking tone.

"So that girl with the dark hair, is your "sacred maiden"?" Dark asked.

"Yeah," he replied as if in a dreamy daze. He stopped short, and shook his head roughly, "Wait! You saw her?" he asked the Thief.

"Of course I did, silly," he answered with a small laugh, "I just wasn't paying attention when you said her name, that's all," he put in.

Daichi sighed to himself. Now with his body back, he turned to his mother, "But mom, what about tests and school work? I don't have time to be a Phantom Thief!" he protested.

Riku looked at her son, "Now Daichi," she said, gently brushing his forehead, "Your father seemed to manage. I'm sure you won't have any trouble keeping up," she added with a warm smile.

"That's right," Daisuke put in, "You must carry this burden with great pride," he said valiantly, grabbing his son by the shoulder and bringing him closer, "And if you screw it up, Dark will never let you hear the end of it," he whispered into his ear.

"I heard that, you know," Dark answered coolly from inside Daichi's mind.

The young thief sighed inwardly, "So, I'm stuck with this?" he asked as he looked up to his beaming family.

"Yup!" the group said simultaneously. Daichi groaned.

Towa smiled with great pride, "Don't worry Master Daichi," she said with a wide grin, "Your father and grandfather were great Phantom Thieves. I'm confident you won't let them down," she added.

With this slight boost of confidence, the young boy began to feel better, "You're right," he replied with a smile. The family turned to the newly recognized thief and then sat down at the table to eat their supper.

Far on the other side of town, a stealthy shadow slipped into the Museum of Artistic History. The intruder closer the window quietly, and dashed to a glass case. With the Phantom Thief Dark threat nonexistent for almost twenty years, it was near child's play for even a novice thief to gain their treasures. But it was no novice the museum was dealing with, or the Dark Thief either. As the perpetrator lifted the glass case, a small ray of silver moonlight penetrated the covered curtain and shone on the scene. The beam hit a long radiance of black hair and pale skin. A small pair of navy eyes looked up at the menacing moon that threatened her discovery. With deft hands, she grabbed the small golden object from the ruby pillow, and replaced the cover on the empty case. The young girl lifted her lips to the sky, "Another success," she whispered to herself, and with that, Suan disappeared into the night.

Daichi belched softly as he finished his bowl of stew and excused himself to his room. The family discussed Dark's first target over dinner. Emiko would write the warning letter and send it the following afternoon, so Daichi was thoroughly prepared. The plan was at 8:00pm, Phantom Thief Dark would claim the Golden Lynx of Freedom; a golden seal discovered in the remains of an old castle from Feudal Age Japan. The young boy dressed himself in his blue paisley pajamas, grabbed With and headed for the balcony. He lifted the window and stepped onto the wooden planks that creaked under his touch. Daichi sighed deeply as he looked to the full moon that seemed painted on the black sky. With looked up to his friend, and nudged his palm. The boy responded with a gentle pat and an appreciated rub behind the ears. The tiny beast let out his usual "Kyu" of delight then bounded back into Daichi's room to rest on his pillow. The boy shook his head softly and soon followed suit.

Day broke and Daichi quickly rushed to get read for school. As he bolted down the stairs, he caught a glimpse of his family gather around the television. The boy grabbed a piece of toast and then joined his family, "What's going on?" he asked, and his grandmother pointed to the newscast.

A young woman sat in front of a desk in the studio and an image of the Museum of Artistic History. The scrolling headline read, "The Phantom Returns???" The anchor began her story, "Last night, the Golden Lynx of Freedom was stolen from the Museum of Artistic History. Security guards claim to have seen no disturbance in the system, but no image was caught on any of the police cameras. Could this be the fabled Phantom Thief's return?" the woman concluded as Daisuke turned off the TV.

"Someone's beaten us to it," he spoke in a stern tone as he turned to his family, "Apparently, we have some competition," he added with a smile.

Daichi sighed in dismay. As if stealing wasn't going to be hard enough, but now he had to compete with another thief!

Emiko groaned in disgust, "Well whoever this thief is, they have no style. And how dare they compare this petty thief to our Dark!" she added in rage, slamming her fists into her lap. No matter how they looked at it, things were definitely going to be different this time around.

The young thief sighed to himself and glance upwards at the kitchen clock, "OH NO!" he bellowed as he headed for the door, "I'm late!" he added as he bolted out the door and down the street.

Emiko and Kosuke giggled to each other, "Remind you of someone?" Emiko asked her husband as she turned to her son.

Daisuke caught her gaze, "What?" he asked sheepishly. The entire family giggled at his response, and he merely shrugged them off and opened the newspaper.

The younger Niwa ran down the streets, dodging puddles and picking up speed. Dark sat back and casually yawned, "What is it with my tamers and being late all the time? I always arrive on time," he added.

"Quiet up there!" Daichi ordered, "You're giving me a headache," he added ironically. The Phantom Thief hushed himself just as his tamer collided with his very own sacred maiden, "S-S-Suan," he stuttered as he fought to keep his balance, but to no avail as he toppled over onto the young girl.

"Niwa?" she answered from beneath him.

Daichi got to his feet and then preceded to help his classmate, "Why are you running this way? The train to school is that way," he said, pointing his finger in the direction to the Tram Station.

Suan fixed her skirt and turned to the young boy, "I know that," the feisty female answered, "I forgot something back at my house," she said.

Daichi looked up to the town clock, "But if you go now, you'll miss the train," he added with care.

"Just go then," she ordered forcefully, "I'll see you at school," she added before disappearing around the corner.

"Whoa!" Daichi stated with surprise.

"What?" the Thief asked with curiosity.

"I never realized how fast she could run," he added, his voice slipping into a dreamy tone. Dark purred deeply to wake his tamer from his daydream, "Hey, leave me alone," the young boy demanded.

"Easier said than done, I'm afraid," Dark added.

"Fine then, just be quiet then," Daichi commanded.

"Okay, okay," the Phantom Thief added before slipping into an energizing sleep.

The young tamer sighed deeply and headed to the Tram Station, his heart beating slower as Suan ran further away.

The young girl ran quick, her running shoes seeming to barely touch the pavement as she dashed down and alleyway, a small, gold object clasped tightly in her hand. She walked slower as she reached destination; a barren group of warehouses on the far edge of town near the bay.

A large shadow appeared in the entrance to one of the buildings, beckoning the girl to come closer. She took a breath and followed the man's command. As she stepped into the empty vessel, the door slammed shut, "Welcome home, dear," a burly voice called from the center of the room. Suan grew defensive as she drew closer to the elderly man, and nodded to acknowledge his greeting, "Well done, honey," he uttered his fake terms of endearment to the girl, "You successfully stole the item, and pinned it on a famous thief celebrity," he said, clapping his large hands. The patriarch figure wore a large white suit, and a dark brown cigar sat between his fingers as he motioned in the air.

The girl swallowed her slight fear; her boss appeared to be alone, "But Phantom Thief Dark has been gone for years," she protested with care; she didn't want to anger the man.

"Yes, sweet child," he replied, "But the time has come for another to take on the legacy," he added with a boisterous laugh. His entire chubby body jiggled with his glee.

Suan sighed and knew of whom he spoke of, "What is my next target?" she asked with vague interest.

The man stepped beside her and grabbed her roughly by the shoulder, "The Thief will steal the Ring of Unity tonight. While he is busy doing that, you will steal the Kaze Shiori from the Hikari Vault," he said, squeezing her tight.

She winced at the slight pain and thought about her next assignment. She knew very little about the Niwa/Hikari relation, but she did know that the Hikari Vault was going to be harder to crack into than anything she'd faced in the petty museums, "But, Boss," she began, but she was silenced by a large hand slapping her square across the face.

"No "buts" from you missy. I want that pendant, Suan, and you'll get it for me if you want to keep your life," he bellowed loudly. The girl rubbed her cheek and growled inward as she got to her feet. She nodded and left the warehouse. The boss smiled to himself, and headed to his office in the shadows of the building.

Suan sniffed back the few tears and climbed into the black car that waited for her.


	3. Chapter 3

Dark descended onto the rooftop beside the art vault, the Ring of Unity held tightly in his palm

Chapter 3

The driver sped down the road and off to school, as Suan sat quietly in the back seat, fiddling with her hair and sighing. Before long, the car had reached the front gate of the school, and no sooner did Suan get out of the vehicle, than Daichi came dashing around the corner to collide into her once again.

"Suan!" he called out in surprise, "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," he said, bending down to scoop the young girl's books up off the sidewalk.

"Oh, Niwa," she said with a kind smile, "You really should watch where you're going, you know," she added as she too leaned over to pick Daichi's books off the concrete, and handing them over to the young boy.

Daichi nodded his head, but refused to give Suan her belongings back, "No, I'll carry them for you. It's the least I can do after running into you so many times," he stated with a wide grin and a small chuckle.

The young girl look down and sighed again, her long dark hair falling over her eyes, "Chivalry has been dead for years, Niwa. There's no use in picking it up now," she said, reaching out to grab her books out his arms.

"Well, at least let me walk you to your locker?" he asked shyly. Suan's temper softened, and she nodded her head towards him as the continued their walk into the school.

Their first class was mathematics, one of Daichi's best subjects. His parents had taught him geometry when he was little, so he could measure distances and angles for his robberies. As he scribbled his notes down, he leaned on his left hand and gazed out the window, "That's wrong," Dark piped in, snapping Daichi out of his trance once more.

The boy sat up in surprise and uttered under his breath, "Shouldn't you be sleeping or plotting?" he asked with agitation.

"You know its wrong too, don't you?" Dark said, as he glanced over the paper again, "The angles don't match up," he pointed out.

The younger of the two was getting ticked, "Look," he whispered angrily to his alter-self, "That is what is in the answer book. It has to be right," he added with force, but just to satisfy the Thief he glanced over the notes, "Doesn't it? Hey, you're right. They don't match," he stated in surprise.

"Well," Dark put in, "Do something about it!" he ushered.

"What?" Daichi asked.

"I don't know! Raise your hand! Do a dance! Take your pick, before I do it for you," he added coolly.

"You wouldn't dare," but Daichi knew he wasn't bluffing and immediately raised his hand, "Mr. Yamada?" he asked with a slight stutter.

The teacher put down his piece of chalk and turned to the boy, "Yes, Daichi?"

The boy swallowed hard, "Uh…that last problem is incorrect," he said, pointing to the equation Mr. Yamada had just finished.

Glancing backward to the board, and once again looked down at his answer book, "I'm afraid you must be mistaken, Daichi," he added calmly.

"But, I," the young boy tried to put in, but his nerves got the better of him. He froze up. Normally this didn't happen, but it felt like his body wouldn't move. Luckily for him, Dark was nice enough to take control. The young Niwa got out of his seat and walked up to the board. He picked up the piece of chalk and briskly corrected the problem. Mr. Yamada's jaw dropped lower with every stroke. When the boy was done, he dropped the minuscule piece of chalk onto the tray, slapped his hands to free them of the dust, and walked back to his seat.

Mr. Yamada blinked and turned to Daichi, "Well, I guess that works too," he replied, clearing his throat as the first class ended, "Class dismissed." he called, reaching for the eraser to clean the board, "Daichi, may I see you for a moment?" he asked calmly as the other students dispersed.

The young boy gulped back his fears, "Thanks a lot," he uttered to Dark.

"What are you complaining about? I fixed it, didn't I?" the Thief replied.

"Yeah. But, now I am going to get in trouble for showing up a teacher. And you shouldn't have interfered," the boy added.

"You froze up like a popsicle. I had no choice," he stated, shrugging his shoulders and slowly shaking his head.

"Well, from now on, you stay out of my body while I am in school," he scolded.

"Yeesh, you sound like a harping mother," the teenager commented.

"I mean it, Dark," Daichi rebuked.

"Okay, all right. Fine, I promise not to take control again…unless it is an emergency," the black angel swore.

Mr. Yamada had finished cleaning the boards, "Master Niwa," he stated, "For your insubordination, you will clean the classroom and the chalk erasers. I will tell Ms. Yuiko, that you will be unable to attend drama class today," he said, leaving the boy with a broom and his dusty duties. Mr. Yamada was a good educator, but his fuse was short, and his fist was iron. Every bright student knew not to cross him, save for Dark, of course.

The boy grumbled as he got to work, "Stupid teacher. I hope you know this is all your fault," he shouted at his alter ego.

"I'm sowwy," the Thief put in cutely, as he batted his eyelashes at him.

"Don't try to butter me up, you're not a puppy, you know," Daichi put in, as he began turning the chairs up onto the desks.

"But I could be. Woof!" he barked childishly, "Just try using your imagination!" Dark added.

The boy growled deeply, "I don't want to! Besides! It's because of you that I am missing Drama class!" he hollered in his mind.

"~Romeo, where for art thou, Romeo?~," Dark mocked in a falsetto and feminine voice, "~I'm in the bushes, Juliet!~" he added, his voice deep and masculine, causing the young thief to chuckle.

"You're horrible," he replied, sweeping the dirt out from under the desks.

The squabbling continued for the remainder of the period as Daichi finished cleaning the room and made his way to the erasers. With dirty hands, he scooped up the eight foam instruments and made his way into the halls and outside. As the boy began beating the tools together, a large cloud of white chalk dust floated around him, caking his school uniform, shoes, and strawberry red hair. The fine particles began to tickle at Daichi's nose, causing a number of sneezes to erupt. After each explosion, Dark followed close in pursuit, with a courteous "God Bless You", each in a different language. The pair continued their inner battle, and with the Phantom Thief distracting him, Daichi finished his chore with hardly any effort.

As the second bell rang for lunch time, the boy dusted himself off and gathered up the spotless erasers and sprinted back to the classroom, unbeknownst to Suan as he once again collided into her, "Are you going to make a habit out of this, Niwa?" the spunky girl asked, brushing off her skirt as she stood up.

Daichi's face began to take the color of his hair. Thankfully, he'd done such a wonderful job on the chalkboard erasers, that not a single speck of dust had ruined the young girl's unmatched beauty, "It's not my fault you are in the way all the time," he jested as he retrieved the dusters from the floor.

She simply smiled and grabbed a few of the erasers and took them into the classroom, before Daichi had time to protest, "Maybe if you watch where you're going once in a while, we wouldn't keep running into each other," Suan added as she placed the tools on the tray under the board, "Hurry up, you don't want to miss lunch, do you?" she said, slinging her bag over one shoulder as she waved to Daichi before dashing off to her locker.

The young man waved back with a dazed look on his face, nearly dropping the remainder of the erasers onto the floor again. He quickly regained his composure and followed the girl's example, neatly placing each eraser on the tray and then booting out the door, and down the hall to his own locker, "Are you always such a klutz?" the Phantom Thief chided.

The young Niwa sighed deeply, "I had rather hoped you were asleep or something," he replied.

"How can a guy get any shut eye, if you keep bumping into pretty girls like her?" Dark pointed out, "and if you're not careful, you might change into me while you are at school,"

"I can keep you in," Daichi challenged.

"Don't get too cocky," the Thief added.

"Take your own advice," the boy replied, silencing the alter-ego, at least for the time being. Daichi fumbled with the combination lock on his locker door, grabbed his lunch and then made his way to the front of the school, in pursuit of the wooden bench that sat under a tree. As the young boy stepped out of the front doors, he saw someone had already taken his spot. Ginjou Yau, another boy in his class, had already taken root, and Daichi wasn't in the mood for a brawl. Ginjou was also a class bully, and he'd picked on most of the kids since kindergarten. Usually he left Daichi alone, but over the last few years, they'd developed a sort of rivalry for Suan's affections.

"Hey, Nitwit!" Ginjou called from his seat, "Have you seen Suan?" he asked.

Daichi simply shrugged him off, calmly ignoring him. Though Ginjou did like Suan, it was for all the wrong reasons. No one really knew Suan's family, except that they were quite wealthy. Not every student rides up in a limo. Ginjou was a meager gold digger, while Daichi liked Suan's personality and charm (not to mention her beauty).

From out of nowhere, a high-pitched scream erupted from behind him, "NIWA!" a girl screamed, leaping onto his back and grabbing hold of his shoulders.

The boy turned his head to catch the dark blue eyes of Suan, "What are you doing?" he asked in surprise.

"Just play along," she whispered venomously before switching back to her fake persona, "Why don't you come sit with me?" she asked in her high voice.

Ginjou dropped his sandwich into his lap when he saw Suan nearly tackle Niwa, "Suan!" he called, ignoring the fact he had egg salad all over his shirt, "Come and sit with me!" he shouted, his lunch bag toppling off his lap and onto the lush green grass.

She looked up with wide eyes and even wider smile, "Oh, that's so kind. But I'm going to eat with Daichi!" she hollered, followed by a small bout of giggling, "Come on, Daichi," she said, grabbing his shirt and tugging him over to the oak tree on the farthest side of the lawn. When the two were out of Ginjou's sight, Suan released him and returned to her normal self, "Thanks, Niwa," she said as she took a seat a the trunk of the oak tree by the fence.

"No problem," he said with a smile, "Just warn me, before you do that again. You kind of scared me," he said, scratching the back of his strawberry-colored hair.

"Oh, I didn't mean to startle you like that," she apologized as she opened her lunch pack.

"Well, there was that too. But, the way you took on a whole different persona was a little frightening," he said, taking a seat beside her and opening his brown paper bagged lunch.

"A little frightening?!" Dark put in, his purple hair frazzled and his face wide with fear, "That was scary!" he added, before Daichi unconsciously hushed him again.

"Well, drama is one of my favorite subjects, remember?" she said, "It's a shame you missed today's class for eraser duty," she added, taking a bite of her pizza sub.

The boy pulled out a stuffed sandwich and took a large bite, "What did you do?" Daichi asked, completely forgetting his manners, causing him to drop his meal to cover his mouth.

She waved it aside, "We worked on some miming and deception," she said, nibbling away at a cookie.

"Deception?" he questioned.

"It's a game of skill and luck. We used our acting skilled to take on another persona; similar to the way I used you to deceive Ginjou. But, someone is always the Thief, and you have to sieve him out," she explained, sipping from her juice box.

Daichi grew a little nervous. Was she talking about him? But he'd never stolen anything yet? He kept his cool, munching down on a carrot stick, "You don't say," he quickly added. The remainder of the conversation continued on, the pair of them laughing at their misfortunes, and Dark listening intently. As the bell rang for the next class to begin, the two of them dashed back to the building and into their seats for History, another one of Daichi's and Suan's favorite classes.

The remainder of the day passed quickly and as the last bell rang, the young pair met in the hallway once more. Though the morning was rough, the two of them appeared to have ironed out all their differences, but Daichi was still concerned, "Say, Suan?" he asked as he walked with the young girl to the Tram Station.

She continued to walk a little ahead of him, "Yeah, Niwa?" she said, making sure not to step on any cracks.

The young boy gulped back his doubts and pressed on, "Why were you so cold to me this morning?" he said quietly.

Suan stopped and let her arms fall to her sides, her face slightly lowered, "I'm sorry about that. I was in such a rush, I didn't want anything to distract me," she put in softly, her face still facing away from Niwa. Her shoulders shook slightly as she thought back to Boss Kotoboshi and his actions from their morning excursion, instinctively reaching for the shoulder that he squeezed, "But, I also didn't want to get you mixed in with it," she added somberly.

He was confused by her words, but her actions were loud and clear, "Suan?" he asked gently, stepping in front of her to get a look at her face, "Are you crying?" he added, leaning down to look into her deep blue eyes.

As she turned, the falling sun caught her irises, and a small tear had welled itself out of Suan, "No, its just…" she stopped as the silver tear rolled off her cheek, "I wish school would last longer," she said with a sense of longing, "Then I wouldn't have to go home," she added nearly incoherently. Daichi's eyes were filled with concern, as she continued "We've been going to school together since kindergarten, and you hardly know anything about me. I always shut out everyone; try to keep them at a distance so they don't get close," she sad, her voice breaking as she began to quake from her sobbing, "But not you; even after all this time, you are the only one who has really been there for me," she said with a smile as she looked up into his red eyes.

A small blush began to form in Daichi's cheeks as he felt his heart swell, but he fought desperately to keep the Phantom Thief in, but his fights were useless, since Dark had not intention of making an appearance. The young boy looked back into his subconscious and observed the famous Thief. His purple eyes were deep with sorrow, and his usual smirk was replaced with a small frown, "Poor girl," he said with a slight gentile, as if he could read her every thought like an open book.

Suan lowered her head with a sigh and looked back up to her companion, who still stood in front of her, holding her shoulders, "Since we're such good friends, I should tell you," she said quietly, slowly reaching up to remove Daichi's hold on her, "But not today," she added, her eyes now loosing their previous softness and returning to normal. A flash of epiphany hit her as her face fell on the clock in the park that they stood close to. Daichi turned around to see it too, and the pair of them let out a unified, "IT'S THAT LATE ALREADY! GOT TO GO! SEE YA TOMORROW!" and dashed home. The young girl's thoughts were clouded with confusion, "I should have told him about my "family"," she thought to herself, as she ran down the docks to the foreboding warehouses that she loathed.

"Once again; my tamer, have no sense of time," Dark put in, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, I wasn't just going to leave her there in a puddle of tears," the boy replied, his breaths no longer getting deeper as Dark gave him some of his "power".

"She's quite the actress, are you sure we can believe her story?" the elder added.

"No, those tears were genuine, Dark. She's mixed in with something terrible, I know it. I want to help her," the young boy stated.

"Well let's start by stealing us the Ring of Unity," Dark commanded, pointing a finger to the red-haired young man.

Daichi's thoughts halted, and hit a brick wall as he continued to run, "How the heck is that going to help?" he asked, enraged.

"It can unify our thoughts to help think of a way to help her!" the Phantom Thief proclaimed, as he rose on a pedestal in his mind, a huge 'chibi' grin on his face.

The boy's face was blank, "You just made that up,"

Dark face was unchanged, "So what if it is?" he said, still beaming.

Daichi sighed deeply, "You know you are hopeless to talk to," he said as he sighed again as Dark began to nod uncontrollably as he finally reached his house.


End file.
